Radek Malý

Bazén je plný osamělých dam

Poems

• 1 Maják mé cigarety | Translations: de
• 2 Bazén je plný osamělých dam | Translations: de
• 3 Temná noci! Jasná noci! | Translations: de

Language: czech

Translations: german (Das Becken ist voll mit alleinstehn’den Damen)

Bazén je plný osamělých dam

Nedělní poledne uprostřed listopadu.
Bazén je plný osamělých dam
a pána s lysinou. Plave si kdesi vzadu
nad hloubkou, zvolna, jako ony – sám.

Vířivka víří, kypí bublinami.
Nad ní se vlní vlny trvalých
i pomíjivých… Dámy, co je s vámi?
Pohledy ze skla, plnost prázdna v nich.

Translations:

Language: german

Das Becken ist voll mit alleinstehn’den Damen

November, ein Sonntag um Viertel nach eins.
Das Becken ist voll mit alleinstehn’den Damen,
ein Herr mit Glatze zieht auch seine Bahnen,
bedächtig, ganz hinten, und wie sie – allein.

Der Whirlpool zersprudelt der Leiber Schwere,
vergängliche Wogen unter Dauerwellen.
Die Damen taxieren ihren Schwimmgesellen,
in Blicken aus Glas eine Fülle der Leere.

Radek Malý

photo © Radek Malý

* 24.06.1977, Olomouc, Czech Republic
lives in: Olomouc + Prague, Czech Republic

Radek Malý is poet, author of books for children and translator from German. He has completed the German studies and Czech studies on Palacký University in Olomouc and he works there (on Department of Czech studies) as the lecturer. Since 2011 he became the head of department of the creative writing on Literary Academy of Josef Škvorecký. He is also external editor of publishing house Meander or editor of and co-author of schoolbooks of Czech language for pedagogical publisher Prodos. In 2004 he published the new primer (Slabikář) and he also contribute to an anthology of poetry for pre-school children called Šmalcova abeceda. Until now he has prepared three books of fairy tales and verses for children and extraordinary book called Poetický slovníček dětem v příkladech (The poetic dictionary for children in examples, 2012).

photo © Radek Malý

However Radek Malý debuted as poet who was writing for adults. In a collection of poems Lunovis (2001) or Vraní zpěvy (Crow’s songs, 2002) has decadent and expressive tendencies arisen. This tendencies are connected with a preference of authors which he chooses for translation. He engages in poetry by Georg Trakl and Rainer Maria Rilke and he has prepared an anthology of German expressionist poetry called Držíce v drzých držkách cigarety (Grasping fags in cheeky yaps, 2007). As for contemporary European poetry he translated Austrian poet Karl Lubomirski. The Czech florilegium is named Pták nad hořícím lesem (The bird above burning wood, 2003).

Besides Georg Trakl Radek Malý devoted theoretical book by Romanian poet writing in German language Paul Celan Domovem v jazyce, České čtení Paula Celana (To dwell in the language, The Czech reading of Paul Celan, 2012)

A rarity in the context of Radek Malý’s literary output is the only one drama Pocit nočního vlaku (The feeling of the night train, 2009) about drive from Prague to Osvětim which has been awarded in drama competition Alfréd Radok Award. It had been realized as a radio play by the director Hana Kofránková and was published as a book and DVD.

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